Category: Green Life

Happy Earth Day Month! Let’s talk about one simple thing we can do for Mother this year in promoting sustainability. That is saving her gift of rainwater. There are different reasons to want to do this.

There are Economic reasons as well as Ecologic reasons that saving and using rainwater is beneficial. For lack of space and in keeping with Earth Day, I am going to focus on the Ecological aspect only.

Eco-logical benefits:

Collecting rain in barrels helps slow runoff and encourages rain to soak into the soil more efficiently, to recharge groundwater supplies and protect sensitive ecosystems.

By saving rainwater from wetter seasons, you’ll have plenty to use without taxing the municipal supply, or your well during the summer, helping out during times of not-so-rainy days.

Eco-facts to consider:

Gardens, trees, bedding and house plants are more likely to flourish when they always receive Mother Nature’s pH-balanced rainwater. What could be more simple and natural?

Have you ever noticed how green a good rain turns lawns and gardens? This is not just “a good cleaning up” by the rainwater. The soil is replenished by this natural pH water, nitrogen is delivered to the soil and plants thrive.

Rainwater is a constant renewable resource to Earth because of its continuous production cycle and is very pure due to the water cycle it goes through. Although there are some similarities between rainwater and tap water, there are also many differences.

Tap water contains contaminants due to the many substances collected in the environment. These contaminants, such as pesticides, prescription drugs, sewage, bacteria, metals, oil, etc. then need to be filtered out, so it can be used for drinking and cooking.

SoWHY is rainwater better than tap water for our plants and lawns? Well, there are a few reasons…

► Simply said, it is what Mother Nature intended. Rainwater is purer, more easily absorbed because it is naturally soft and free of minerals. This allows for healthier growth.

► Salt exists in the soil naturally. In areas where the water is naturally full of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, sodium (salt) is used in municipal water and in water softeners to soften water to reduce deposit buildup. Too much salt is bad for plants, and as it builds up it starves the roots of water. Rainwater dilutes the salts in the soil and pushes them further down, away from the plant’s root system.

► Municipal water services add a lot of chemicals to the water supply to keep it clean as it flows through pipes. Fluoride and chlorine are very common additives. Fluoride is put into the water in an effort to keep people’s teeth healthy. Chlorine is used to kill off harmful bacteria in the water supply. Both of these chemicals affect the pH of the soil, often making it too acidic for maintaining healthy plants. Rainwater contains neither of these chemicals, having been filtered by evaporation, and is pure.

I hope this has helped you understand the benefits and importanceof harvesting rainwater for your plants, gardens, trees and lawn.

Try rainwater for other uses, too. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll like it for washing your car, bathing your pet, or washing your own hair…you might find that you wont need to buy conditioner, as rainwater is naturally soft.

Many of us are finding ways to go back to a simpler way of life. This is one of those smarter, simpler ways that make sense, save money and save on the environment. Give it a try…oh, and if you do, please remember to choose a rain barrel that is good for the environment and won’t end up in a landfill. Mother Earth will thank you!

Why install a solar PV system? You can hedge against rising fuel costs! You can own your energy up front! You can offset your own fossil fuel consumption! You can have energy independence!

You probably have heard some of what a solar PV system can do for you, but what about the costs? What does the math of a solar PV system say? A baseline PV costing exercise usually begins by looking at your kWh/per year usage. Here is a sample exercise you can do at home.At our home business, the energy usage is 8,300 kWh per year. To estimate my PV system size, I will begin by dividing my kWh per year by 1.2. This gives me an estimated PV system size of 6,917 watts or a 6.9kW system. To calculate my installed cost, I multiply the PV system size by the cost per watt for a roof mounted system, which in this case is $4.00. This gives me an installed cost of $27,988. Not exactly chump change, I know. But wait! There is more to this equation.

If I am a rural business owner, I can apply for a 25 percent USDA REAP grant. To figure this amount, I multiply myinstalled cost by 0.25. This puts me at $20,991. If my utility participates with Focus on Energy, I can take an additional $2,400 dollars. This Focus on Energy grant is taxed at 33 percent (-$792), so the cost of the system is now at $19,383. The federal tax credit is considerable at 30 percent. To calculate this, I simply multiply my installed cost minus the USDA grant by 0.30. This puts me at $14,693.70! I know exciting, right? We are not done—let’s look at depreciation. Depreciation indicates how much of an asset’s value has changed. For tax purposes, businesses can deduct the cost of the tangible assets they purchase as business expenses. To figure depreciation, multiply your installed cost ($27,988) by 0.21. Our net solar system cost is $8,816.22! This isn’t chump change either—but it’s a considerable difference from where we started.

So, what’s the payback time? To calculate this, divide the net solar system cost by the solar energy value in year one and multiply by 1.35. To calculate your solar energy value in year one, multiply your annual electric load by your utility rate. For example, for my solar energy value in year one, I multiply $0.11 x 8,300 to get $913. So to find payback, I divide my net system cost ($8,816.22) by solar energy value ($913) and multiply by 1.35 to give weight to module degradation, property insurance escalation, inverter replacement etc. My payback time is 13 years. Or I could say after 13 years, I make money with my system! System life is expected to last at least 30 years.

Check with your tax professional and solar site assessor to find out if you qualify for solar enegy tax incentives.

People often want to know what my all time favorite cleaner is, the secret green weapon. I’d like to share this, and a few other really simple things to do around the house to save you time and energy, and to keep you from getting buildup in places that might lead you to use harsh chemicals to get it back to normal.

When it comes down to it, the one thing I cannot clean without would have to be rags. I keep a bunch of them in the kitchen and the bathroom and use them for everything. I throw one on the floor while I am cooking or doing the dishes and clean up spills with my feet as they happen. Then I throw it in a small laundry bin. I run one under the shower water while it’s warming up and wipe down the sink and the toilet, dry it with another, and throw them in a bin. By keeping a little bit of soap or your favorite green cleanser, a toothbrush, and a slew of rags accessible, you can eliminate ever really needing to scrub the places that usually get the worst.

A couple of other things that help would be to keep a squeegee in the shower and get the water and soap residue off of the walls and doors before it hardens. Wiping just the shower fixtures dry and never giving soap and hard water a chance to leave residue. Not using bar soap is a huge help too. All-natural soap does not seem to be as problematic, but if you are noticing soap caked on your shower walls, you may want to look into treating yourself to an all-natural body wash and living a life of healthy leisure, or else succumbing to the never-ending battle of using half a bar of soap and scraping the rest off of your shower wall. This new habit will help with the plumbing too and keep you from a six-month Drano dump ritual.

I’ve also switched from plastic shower curtains to fabric ones. I’ve noticed this getting marketed as a specific thing now, but you can actually just use any shower curtain cover. The thinner the better actually, because then it will dry quicker, but the water won’t go through. The trick is to get two and switch one out to be washed with all of your used rags. These could be the last shower curtains you ever buy, and think of the ridiculous amount of plastic used to make the regular ones, and where all of the ones you have used are now. It’s so awful. So next time you take yours down to replace it, throw the outer liner inside the tub and try a shower to see what I mean. I like to keep what I can out of the landfill and the water system, and these simple things have allowed me to do that in a great many ways.

Urbal Tea Is a Local Milwaukee Herbal Tea Company

Every blend of Urbal Tea is formulated to assist in the healing, strengthening, and preserving of the entire human body. Herbal tea works with the body in an all-natural way to promote balance and good health. Almost any herbal leaf, flower, and root can be made into tea. What makes us different is that we only blend herbs; therefore none of our herbal blends contain actual tea or caffeine. Camellia sinensis, known as the tea plant, is just one plant. Our herbal infusions focus on all the other species of plants Mother Nature provides. We incorporate many local herbs like nettle, dandelion, burdock, and clover. Many of these herbs can be found right in your own backyards. All of the herbal teas contain numerous vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and each blend targets a different ailment or need. Meant to be enjoyed every day, Urbal Teas provide a bounty of nourishing herbs to benefit the entire body and soul. Our passion is to help people kick the caffeine and processed-sugar beverages. Drinking tea is a simple and easy way to refresh and heal. Please visit our website urbalhealth.com for more details on all the wonderful blends we offer.

Urbal Tea is liquid for life.

Poofy Organics

About ten years ago, I decided to go green with my household and personal care products. My only exceptions have been hair dye, stain, and bleach. If you know me, you would likely agree one never knows from one day to the next what color my hair may be. That being said, my husband used to make comments during those ten plus years of chemical-free living about how he missed the way I used to smell during our dating years. I used toxic perfumes and chemical-laden body sprays from famous mall stores, which in turn equated to an allergy pill a day for over fourteen years. Frankly, I just hadn’t found anything that was pure enough for me to put back on my body, so I stayed away from scents altogether.

In October 2012, I attended the Holistic Mom’s conference in Chicago. While wearing my nametag and browsing the booths early in the morning, I heard a woman exclaim, “Wow, your name is Aphrodite? You should sell our products!” I thought to myself, “Yeah right! I just don’t think that there are any products out there that are safe enough, up to my standards, or are not filled with things that I don’t want in my house.” Excitedly, and upon further investigation, I found myself intrigued by the pure, clean, organic ingredients.

That day was the very first day of my fantastic journey. By noon, I had become an Independent Poofy Organics Diva, which in turn made me their very first recruited Diva. A Diva hosts home and Internet-based parties while educating people about the benefits of toxic-free living. I had not realized until I walked away from the table that fateful day that I had just met the founder, owner, and CEO of Poofy Organics, Kristina Gagliardi-Wilson.

Poofy Organics was founded in 2006 after one of Kristina’s family members was diagnosed with cancer. During this frightening battle, Kristina discovered there simply were no truly safe products on the market for her family to use. She began making her own pure, clean, organic products. As local interests grew in her creations, she decided to sell her homemade products on eBay. It quickly became obvious that her calling was much bigger. She soon opened her own store, Poofy Organics, sweetly named after her daughter’s childhood nickname.

Poofy products are made in small batches by hand at our USDA certified organic facility in Rutherford, New Jersey. All products are gluten free, cruelty free, contain zero toxins, and have no hidden ingredients. We offer a wide variety of luxurious bath and body products for the entire family. There are fun kids’ scents available within our Young, Wild, & Free line. Other product lines include I AM goddess for Women, Ruggedly Natural for Men, Baby Poof for Infants & Toddlers, Poofy Polish for everyone, delightfully aromatic household cleaners for your home, and USDA certified organic essential oils for your peace of mind.

For information on parties, great shipping rates, and answers to your questions contact me today -715.552.1474

Good for You and Earth: CORE Meals

Oakland, California—based CORE Foods began after Corey, the founder, lived with twelve different tribes around the world. He hand-ground corn in Mexico, foraged for sago grubs in Papua New Guinea, rice farmed in Indonesia, herded goats in Mongolia, beat taro in Brazil, and sling-shot dik-dik in South Africa. All these experiences drew him to conclude that for best nutrition, one should eat mostly whole fresh fruits and vegetables.

Through a loan from Whole Foods Market, CORE Foods was born, with the goal of making it possible for anyone to eat healthy anywhere, anytime. Corey wanted the company to be not-for-profit due to the universal principle he had observed in every tribe he’d lived with: treat others they way you want to be treated.

By Earth Day 2010, CORE had developed two meals: Defender Meals (oats, nuts, seeds, fruits—for daily healthy living) and Warrior Meals (whey protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates—for energy, endurance, and strength). Each meal keeps you fueled for four hours. All meals are of high-quality nutrient-dense whole certified organic ingredients—no syrups, salts, oils, flours, or additives. Meals have no preservatives, so a meal can last one week on the go, one month if chilled, and six months if frozen. Each pack of ten meals costs about $40.

CORE Meals are available in 300 stores nationwide or at www.corefoods.com. CORE uses local sources as much as possible, and the meals are gluten free and kosher. In efforts to protect the environment, CORE uses American-made recycled and low-waste materials and avoids excess waste and energy use. CORE offsets its remaining emissions via CarbonFund.org. The company supports community involvement in its hometown of Oakland by donating thousands of CORE Meals to the homeless and by participating in other community events.

Honey Salon: Could This Be What You’ve Wanted?

by Barbara Tzetzo Gosch, freelance writer

After fourteen years as a professional hair stylist, Becca Barr
created her vision of an eco-friendly and wellness-centered beauty salon in Eau Claire. Barr has combined her healthy lifestyle and entrepreneurial skills to provide clients with a “Special Place” where they can feel pampered and safer from chemicals.

“While growing up, I was taught to pay attention not only to the food I would eat but what I’d put on my body,” she revealed.

The awareness to take charge of your health needs along with her hair stylist listening skills contributed to Barr’s discovery that a new kind of hair salon service was needed. She was reminded of clients, as well as herself, who had experienced allergic and other reactions from using hair products that have an increase in chemicals. “Honey,” was selected to be part of her salon’s name because—it’s a natural alternative. In addition, Barr, who is a beekeeper, decided upon the “Queen Bee” as its logo, expressing her dedication to the environment.

Are You Thriving?

The holidays are just around the corner! Are you looking for that perfect gift for some special people in your life? How about the Gift of Health? Do you or someone you know suffer from: low energy, low mood, joint discomforts, headaches, managing your weight, or trouble sleeping? Then the THRIVE Experience may be just what you are looking for!

As hard as we try to create a healthy food environment for our families, it can be extremely difficult due to farmlands having nutritionally depleted soil and using over-processed ingredients. These circumstances make it almost impossible to fill all of the nutritional gaps in our bodies.

The THRIVE Experience is a new direction in simplicity. Take two capsules before your feet hit the floor in the morning, take our THRIVE lifestyle shake mix, slap on your DFT foam, and you are done for the day!

This simple three-step system provides our bodies with over 100 synergistic vitamins, minerals, probiotics, nutrients, digestive enzymes, amino acids and antioxidants that fill those nutritional gaps in our bodies to allow us to run at an ultra premium level.

Le-Vel is redefining the term FREE, with their innovative direct sales company. Anyone can join the Le-Vel team for free, whether it’s as a customer or a promoter. They are a Cloud-based company which allows them to invest in the highest grade ingredients available, as well as an industry leading compensation plan.

If you would like to know more about the THRIVE Experience, please visit www.UltraPremiumLifestyle.com or give Tiffanie (Independent Brand Promoter for Le-Vel) a call at 715-495-8432.

To read some amazing personal experiences, check out the Le-Vel Facebook fan page. For more information, you can also listen to this prerecorded informational call. 1-530-881-1499 Pin 137907#”

How to Be Lovely

What does it mean to “love yourself to be lovely”?

That’s the tagline at Molly Marie Photography, a local studio founded by Molly Keyser in 2007. Molly’s studio specializes in women’s portraits—boudoir, glamour, and maternity. Unlike some other photographers, Molly doesn’t rely on Photoshop to give her clients photos they can be proud of. Instead, Molly’s mission is to empower women with the realization of their beauty through portrait sessions for which they do not need to lose 10 pounds or hide their “imperfections” to be attractive. Being lovely comes from a place much deeper than the external appearances; it stems directly from a woman’s core of confidence.

Developing this mission has been many years in the making. Several years ago, Molly struggled with self-image and began a weight loss journey. She now wants to share her personal discoveries with women who harbor similar feelings of inadequacy. “I wasn’t able to have success with my weight loss journey until I loved myself with the weight on. I wasn’t able to create more time for myself until I truly loved myself enough to create time for me.” Being lovely comes from a place of self-assuredness, of being at peace with who you are right now.

Stephanie, of north-central Wisconsin, shared her experience of learning to embrace her beauty after a glamour portrait session at Molly Marie Photography. “I was nine months pregnant with my fourth child when I scheduled my photo shoot and was honestly looking forward to my hair and makeup being done, and having a few photos taken of myself. Little did I know all the benefits that came from it. I am your average stay-at-home mom of four, and I will admit I lost myself in the shuffle of a hectic household. I felt I had let myself down in a way . . . after doing this, I realized that I am still the woman/wife I was before becoming a stay-at-home mom. I was in there, and I was smokin’ hot (who knew under those sweatpants?). I carry myself differently, and I take a few extra minutes to myself in a day, dress better, and even put a little makeup on when I stay at home. I just feel so much more confident! Don’t get me wrong . . . I still have sweatpants days, but all I do is look at my photos, smile, and things look a little brighter.”

Stephanie learned to love herself to be lovely.

“This tagline to me is so much more than just my business tagline,” Molly shares. “It’s deeper than that to me. What this means is that no matter what you’re struggling with, you have to find a way to love yourself here and now in order to be ‘lovely.’”

Take a few extra minutes for yourself today. Remember, or discover, that you are beautiful, attractive, valued, strong, and lovely now. Relish the moment and carry it with you.

ChiroElite Chiropractic + Rehab

ChiroElite Chiropractic + Rehab is a locally owned chiropractic clinic in Altoona, opened by Dr. Thomas Pellatt. Dr. Pellatt grew up in Eau Claire and went to Regis High School where he played center for the varsity football team. It was while playing football and sustaining an injury that Dr. Pellatt was first introduced to the benefits of chiropractic. He experienced a quick healing time and noticed increased performance on the field after starting a regular treatment regimen.

He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2007 and decided to go on to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa for his doctorate of chiropractic. After graduation, Dr. Pellatt moved to Chicago where he treated patients in two large chiropractic firms over the course of three years. Dr. Pellatt worked with some of the very best chiropractors in Chicago and became specialized in many different techniques including Active Release Technique, Chiropractic Biophysics, Activator, and many more.

He decided to bring all that expertise and experience back to his hometown residents of the Chippewa Valley by opening a practice. ChiroElite is different than most chiropractic clinics. After working in insurance-based practices and seeing how expensive care still was for patients, Dr. Pellatt decided to make a change when he went out on his own. Rather than going through insurance, ChiroElite is strictly a cash practice. This decreases practice overhead for billing and non-covered services and passes savings on to the patients. Being a cash practice is not unique in itself but what sets ChiroElite Chiropractic + Rehab apart is memberships. One of the many possible payment options is the monthly, unlimited membership for either individuals, couples, or families. For a low, flat fee patients are able to schedule whenever they’d like and as often as they need for chiropractic care.

The membership serves two purposes. It makes receiving regular chiropractic care very affordable while at the same time incorporating a wellness approach to care. Healing and wellness through chiropractic takes time and multiple visits to have the best impact on a patient. Monthly memberships allow for patients to come and go as they please just like a gym and get the best possible value for their care. For those who have busy schedules, there are also punch cards and pay-per-visit options to accommodate just about any individual, couple, or family.

ChiroElite is also active in the community and hosts the Average Joes Evening Running Group every Wednesday at 5:30 PM. This is a group focused on improving cardio and endurance for beginning and intermediate runners. ChiroElite Chiropractic + Rehab is located at 903 S. Hillcrest Parkway, Altoona, WI 54720. They can be reached at 715-832-9725 or visited on the web at www.chiro-elite.com.

Parsley Medical Clinic: Is a direct pay practice right for you?

Parsley Medical Clinic, SC is a new direct pay Family Practice and OMT (osteopathic manipulative treatment) clinic in Eau Claire. Direct pay practices are a growing trend nationwide and in Wisconsin. Parsley Medical Clinic opened to help provide care for individuals and/or families with high deductible insurance, health savings accounts, or no health insurance. This type of practice cuts out additional cost and markup by not billing insurance companies or federal or state health programs, which reduces office overhead in the process. This simplifies the process, and the savings are passed along to the patient by reducing charges for office visits, labs, and procedures, and offers traditional services that most primary care offices provide, such as physicals, sick/injury visits, minor office procedures, and medication refills when needed.

Direct pay practices, like Parsley Medical Clinic, take the guess work out of medical cost by making prices available before the visit. Payment is expected on the day of service after the visit, so there is no bill to worry about later. If requested, a coded receipt will be provided at checkout for patients to submit to their insurance for possible out-of-network benefits. If you have questions about reimbursement, call your insurance company before scheduling an appointment.

Jennifer Parsley, D.O., is an osteopathic physician who is board certified in Family Practice and is also one of seven board certified specialists of neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM) practicing in Wisconsin. In addition to treating all ages in her Family Practice clinic, she also specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal problems and uses a holistic treatment approach by combining her medical knowledge with manual manipulation (OMT) to treat problems like back pain, neck pain, and headaches.

“I enjoy making health care accessible and affordable to individuals who work hard to provide for their families but still have a tight budget. By simplifying our process, it allows me to take more time with my patients and improves patient satisfaction.” Osteopathic physicians offer their patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today. Dr. Parsley adds, “Although we prefer you call ahead for an appointment, we currently welcome walk-ins too.” Parsley Medical Clinic is located in the Atrium Building at the corner of W. Clairemont Avenue and Highway 37. If you have a medical or musculoskeletal problem and would like more information, call our office at 715-514-3680 or visit the website at parsleymedicalclinic.com.

Eau Claire Creates a Sustainability Commission

In December of 2013 the Eau Claire City Council created a new citizen commission called the Advisory Commission on Sustainability (ACS). Eight community members and one City Council member were appointed back in April. Members represent broad background in the environment, business, academia, and public arenas. Specific areas of knowledge brought are energy, waste, air quality, climate change, remediation, buildings, housing, food, and environmental public health.

After considering numerous projects, the commission recently developed an annual work plan. Continuing from the city’s previous Sustainable Bag Committee’s efforts, they will be devising an educational campaign to reduce, reuse, and recycle disposable shopping bags in the city. These recommendations will be considered by the City Council in early 2015. Other projects the commission is undertaking include: drafting a pollinator honeybee-keeping ordinance to protect the food supply, encouraging water efficiency and conservation measures, evaluating a construction and demolition waste ordinance to reuse salvaged materials, promoting or requiring green buildings, and increasing support for affordable community solar. Both Xcel Energy and Eau Claire Energy Cooperative are investigating solar projects. The ACS intends to conduct a survey in the fall to help gauge public interest in receiving power from a solar facility. The city is considering siting a larger solar electric array facility at the former Sky Park Landfill site.

Meetings of the commission are open to the public. If interested in attending, full commission meets in Eau Claire’s city hall at 1:00 p.m., the second Friday, every other month. Their sub-committees meet at 1:00 p.m. on the fourth Friday of every month, at the same location. Visit the city’s website to learn more and keep up with proceedings, or call the Community Development Department at 715-839-4914 for more information.

Massage Therapy Awareness Week

Have you ever wondered if massage could be beneficial for your health condition? What type of massage do you need to have to help manage your health issues? Did you know that not every type of massage is good for all health conditions? Sometimes there are contraindications to doing a specific technique or maybe one technique will offer better results for your condition than another. Wouldn’t you like to know which is which?

Massage Therapy Awareness week is October 19-25 and Globe University, local massage therapists and the YMCA are pairing up on October 23 at the YMCA on Graham Ave., downtown Eau Claire, Entrance A.

This day will include sample massages for a variety of health conditions, runners assessments, informational brochures and chair massages will be offered by donation with all proceeds going to the Livestrong program at the YMCA.

The LiveStrong program is a FREE program tailored to fit the special needs of cancer survivors who would like to improve their quality of life before, during and after treatment. Personal trainers who have undergone specialized training in the elements of cancer, rehabilitative exercise and supportive cancer care will work with individuals one on one or small group.

You don’t have to be a member of the YMCA to attend the general public is welcome.

Affordable Energy Conference

November 8, 2014 from noon to 5:00 pm • Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire • No cost to attend

Conference Goal and Audience: Solar Power Wisconsin: Affordable Energy Conference is designed to promote solar electric installations in the Chippewa Valley and Wisconsin. Speakers will address issues for businesses, organizations and individuals considering solar energy. Attend to learn how solar energy can profit you, how to achieve a community solar project, and about energy conservation.